Another question. We trapped a beaver this morning and right now have it packed in ice. How long can I wait to skin it. Also, say it didn't have it on ice. Temps here are running about 32 at night and around 50 during the day. How long would it or any other animal keep before it must be skinned. Not really something I have ever seen discussed.

Another question. We trapped a beaver this morning and right now have it packed in ice. How long can I wait to skin it. Also, say it didn't have it on ice. Temps here are running about 32 at night and around 50 during the day. How long would it or any other animal keep before it must be skinned. Not really something I have ever seen discussed.

Beaver are not like other animals and the fast rate of green belly. Your temps are going down to just about freezing during the night and up to the 50 range during the day. Best thing to do is hang your beaver to dry in the shade as you want a dry fur when skinning. Beaver will last more then a few days in those temps. Have had some go 3 to 4 days before I got to them. Once skinned either process and board or throw in freezer for later. Once skinned and left out for a couple days they will start to turn.

We keep our fur room at 55 degrees f steady. We figured the coons to be ok to leave through the day so we could skin when we arrived from work/school. We did that for several days before i begun unfreezing the green pelts to work them. We had WAY too many with the start of taint in the belly areas about the size area of a nickel. That was leaving them from approx 4:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. None were close to another, most were hung by back feet, and a few laid out on the wood floor belly up. We quit doing that and took other measures, and never had another problem. I think its safe to say at 55 f you need to skin coons fairly soon. Rats will go bad very quickly and we skin them asap. Bobcats are prone to greening like rats but not as fast to do so.....but who the heck wants to take that chance with such a high dollar pelt?

Any time you can possibly do so skin right away to avoid problems. Many can get away with several days because the animals are frozen or in ice water....you wont do that here in Kansas and have many pelts worth much.

50 is the danger zone same with any hanging meat. All the above info is dead on far as im concerned. If your not worried about salvaging the meat for consumption 2 days max and id start to worry after 36 hours. If your salvaging the meat they need to be pelted out ASAP. Green n purple rat bellies can slip way to easy. Beaver seem to store a little better but remember that hide keeps them warm n toasty when alive. It'll hold heat quite awhile, even in cold water.

I don't have a lot of experience with rats but beaver I lay on there backs on the cold garage floor other animals I hang by a back foot this moves the stomach more into the rib cage and can slow the onset of taint. You should have a fan for air circulation in the fur shed but this can also speed the cooling process on skinning chores you can't get to right away.